Promises to Keep
by citrus luver
Summary: Pokemon and humans are at war.  The days of friendship between Pokemon and people have long disappeared.  To just survive to live another day, humans have formed a team under the sign of the thunderbolt.
1. Prologue: The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon, and I know I never will.

**Promises to Keep**

By Citrus Luver 

**Prologue: The Beginning**

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_Year 2017_

_World: Pokémon Indigo Island/ Kanto_

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"Brock! I can't believe you got us lost again!" Dawn groaned. Piplup nodded in agreement. The young penguin Pokémon crossed its little flippers and glared at the young Pokémon doctor-in-training. Both Dawn and Piplup had been looking forward to relaxing at the Pokémon Center and not having to camp out once again. Unfortunately, the sky was getting darker, and the trees weren't thinning. "Don't you live here? How can you possibly be so lost?"

"We aren't lost right Misty?" asked Brock. He turned towards Misty, who was cradling her baby Azurill. The young normal type Pokémon was a gift from Tracey after she left her precious Togetic to guard the Togepi Kingdom in Hoenn. Misty simply blinked unsure how to respond. However, unlike yesterday she could no longer unknowingly throw Brock to the wrath of Dawn. Just yesterday, Dawn had almost unleashed her Mamoswine on the young Pokémon doctor-in-training for once again not leading them to the Pokémon Center.

"No, I'm sure we aren't lost, Dawn. I'm sure Ash knows where we are." Misty glanced up at the other boy in their party. Ash seemed worlds away. The boy was carrying a heavy load, one that he had only shared with Brock and Misty last night. Like all the other selfless and heroic acts Ash had performed in the past. He hadn't admitted what was bothering him or why he was purposely leading him around civilizations. When Misty and Brock finally confronted Ash for unlike Dawn who had never traveled to Kanto, they both had a inking about the path Ash had chosen. He had broken down, claiming he was afraid if he told them they would abandon him. Misty had never seen Ash so sad or frightened. She immediately slapped him across his face demanding why after all these years he still possessed such crazy ideas. She immediately listed off all the crazy and dangerous situations Ash had dragged them through with Brock adding in the rest. Only then did he reveal that something was following them. It was something strange, sinister and not from this world. He said that Pikachu could sense it better. They also agreed not to tell Dawn until they reached Pallet. They didn't want to worry Dawn especially with Pallet so close. There, they could send Dawn home to Sinnoh. "Right Ash?" Misty asked gently. She lightly touched Ash's arm.

The young boy flinched at Misty's touch. He turned his head a little confused and dazed. Dark, black rings encircled the bottom layer of eyes. It seemed as if he hadn't slept in weeks, which in retrospect he probably hadn't. "Yes?"

"You know where we're at, right Ash?" asked Dawn. "Brock seems hopelessly lost."

"Of course," said Ash. He produced a fake smile and even rubbed Pikachu's head, the spot between the electric mouse's ears where it especially adored. Pikachu produced an affectionate 'cha'. Ash was a good actor when he wanted to be.

"See, we aren't lost," said Brock. Brock winked at Ash. He was grateful. Although Brock knew sooner or later if anything happened, there was little their Pokémon could do to protect them since all their Pokémon were tired. They hadn't been to a Pokémon Center in days.

Pikachu's ears bristled. Ash looked down and saw that Pikachu's eyes were suddenly filled with worry. Tiny streaks of electricity came out of Pikachu's cheeks. All the fur on its back seemed to be standing up on end. "Do I really want to know?" Ash wondered. Pikachu continued to spark. The little yellow rodent gritted its teeth. "What is it?" whispered Ash. He lightly stroked Pikachu's fur. He was almost afraid to look around.

"Pii," whispered Pikachu. Ash gritted his teeth. He looked around at the forest. The sky seemed to have darkened quickly. The leaves and branches rattled in the wind. Besides the sound of nature, the sounds of Pokémon and anything else alive in the forest seemed to have ceased.

Ash felt a chill run down his spine. His brain was screaming at him to run, but his feet felt like lead.

"Ash?" Misty's voice shook him from his frozen state.

"Run," the only word Ash could form with his mouth. Misty and Brock's eyes widened immediately realizing the horrors around them. Brock grabbed Dawn's arm. He dragged the young, confused girl along. Piplup followed, deeply confused and annoyed. A barrage of 'Pip's left its beak. Thus the four young trainers ran. They plowed through the dense forest. More than once, they had lost their footing and thought that they would fall only from another to steady their footing. Dawn ran half blind from the sweat that had stained into her eyes. She had momentarily stopped to recall Piplup into its Pokéball.

They ran through the dark forest with only Pikachu's sparks for small amounts of light. It felt like hours had passed. Only when he heard the labored breathing from his friends and their insistence that they couldn't run anymore that Ash slowed his pace but refused to stop. The pounding in his head and Pikachu's troubled expression that mirrored his own kept him going.

He stopped suddenly at a crossroad. It was marked by a large oak tree that had split in half from the latest thunder storm. One path looked beaten and abandoned while the other looked well maintained. He immediately recognized both paths. A small, bittersweet smile appeared on his face.

He had traveled on that well maintained road many times on his Pokémon journey. It felt like a lifetime ago since the last time he competed in a Pokémon league. He wondered what Iris and Cilan were doing now. He wondered how Iris's training with Drayden was going. He wondered if Cilan had finally advanced in his goal to become an S class Pokémon Connoisseur. He wondered how May was doing in her Pokémon contests. The last he had heard; she was still in Johto collecting ribbons for the Johto Grand Festival. He thought about Max and how he was going to get his first Pokémon soon. He remembered promising the boy that they battle when he got stronger. The well maintained road always took him home, back to Pallet to his mom, his and Pikachu's hometown, and back to all his Pokémon living with Prof. Oak and Tracey. He used to run down that road and announce his arrival when he reached the top of the hill overlooking Pallet. Pallet was comforting. In his youth he found it boring and couldn't wait to see the world and meet new Pokémon. Now suddenly, he missed his idyllic childhood. He missed fishing, wood boarding down the hills surrounding Pallet and seeing the newest Pokéfilm.

While the other road, the road that looked like it hadn't been traveled in years, Ash knew where that went too. It would take him to his future. That was the road he was going to take. "You guys go left. I'll go right," Ash announced. "We'll meet in Pallet. Tell Mom I'll be back soon." Ash smiled when he thought of his mom. He remembered how excited she had been when he told her he was coming home for a long break. He could almost smell her home cooking. Even now, it felt so simple. All he had to do was go left. He could be home before lunch. His mom and Mr. Mime would be preparing a feast. Prof. Oak would throw him a party. Even Gary would be there, Gary had promised to show him his newest resurrected Pokémon. He wondered what Gary would say when he told him he had played with an Archen and helped it evolve into an Archeops.

"What?" asked Misty. Ash knew Misty wouldn't agree with his plan.

"Go left," Ash repeated again. "You'll be in Pallet before noon if you travel all night. I'll loop around and catch up with you guys. Be there by dinner time." He wondered if he fooled any of them with his lies. Dawn did not seem to notice. She had twisted her ankle and was being supported by Brock.

"No! I'm coming with you Ash," said Misty stubbornly. She cradled her Azurill tightly and pursed her lips.

"We don't have time to argue," snapped Ash. "Dawn is hurt. You got to help Brock. I'll lead it away from you guys."

Misty shook her head and glared at Ash. "Brock and Dawn can go left. I'm coming with you," said Misty in a voice that Ash immediately recognized. It was a tone that Misty frequently used when she was serious and nothing he could say would change it. Ash cursed under his breath. "You'll need help," Misty said softly

"Fine," said Ash. He walked over to Dawn. The girl had tears in her eyes. Ash pitied her, but he knew Brock could take care of her. Brock was going to become a Pokémon doctor. Ash muttered gentle words to Dawn that seemed to brighten the girl up as he helped Brock lean her against tree. She grimaced as Brock bandaged her ankle. Ash then hoisted her onto Brock's back. She seemed lighter than Ash remembered.

"Pallet," Brock muttered. Ash nodded. Brock nodded back, his face hardened as he took the left fork. Both Ash and Misty watched as Brock and Dawn were swallowed by the darkness. Pikachu's small 'cha' awoke the two trainers to their predicament.

"Ready?"

Misty nodded. Her face hardened. Ash gave her a sad look. Both knew what the other dared not say, but both were secretly glad to have the other. Ash grabbed Misty's hand. His hand felt so cool compared to her warm hand. Hand in hand they ran down the path. They only stopped occasionally to drink water. It would be hours later when what would normally be sunrise that Ash said they could rest. He told Misty that Pikachu seemed to have calmed down, which Misty took to mean that they had managed to put enough distance between them and 'it'.

Ash gave both Pikachu and Azurill each a generous bowl of Pokémon food before pulling out two premade sandwiches. Misty accepted hers generously. It was cold despite being summer. She could even see her breath. It would be autumn soon. The leaves would turn color. She remembered her first autumn with Ash. It seemed like a life time ago that she had danced in a yukata with Ash at the summer end festival at Maiden's Peak.

"It's almost autumn," Misty said, breaking the silence.

"Yep," Ash said between big bites. After all these years, Ash hadn't really changed his eating habits. Eating always made him happier. "Where has time gone? How many years has it been?"

"Too many."

"Mom thinks I should get a real job," Ash stated nonchalantly.

Misty looked up. "What? But your mom always seemed so proud when you brought her your newest trophy or badges."

"Mom is good at that. She's always been good at that," Ash spoke forlornly. He rubbed the side of his cheek. "But I'm not ten anymore. She stopped coming to see my league matches a long time ago. She was hoping I would be like Gary and get a real job."

"No, we aren't ten anymore," Misty muttered sadly. She stared at her sandwich. She had always thought of Delia as a loving and supportive mother. She wondered if Delia was a major contributor to Ash not immediately leaving for another league after Unova. In a way she felt thankful. She could still remember that night when Ash called her. Ash rarely called her in the last few years. Ash was never good at keeping in contact with old friends, but Misty understood. It would take days for them to get between towns or cities with telephone access, and normally when they did arrive to civilization someone always seemed to need their help whether it was a Pokémon or a human. By the time they finished helping the 'trainer of the day', it was nightfall and all they had time left to do was eat and sleep. She had started to believe that Ash had forgotten about her until that night. He told her he was taking a break and wanted to focus on training his Pokémon before leaving for the next league. He wanted to travel around Kanto and was wondering if she wanted to travel together again. Her sisters were getting better at battling. It would only be a few weeks Ash had promised, yet somehow the weeks had turned into months.

"You think we'll see Dawn and Brock again?"

"Of course, you'll see them again." Ash smiled. The words only made Misty feel colder. She watched Ash sitting there engulfing his sandwich. He watched Pikachu eat his Pokémon food. She wondered how long Ash would let her stay around. She knew at some point Ash would play the hero. She wondered if at that point he would give in as easily as he had earlier.

"You really do know these woods."

"Yep." Ash grinned. "I used to explore these woods all the time when I was little. Gary and I used spend hours watching and playing with the Pokémon. We knew these woods better than the back of our hands."

"Gary?" Misty looked puzzled.

"Yep, Gary and I used to be friends. Then one summer he went to the city, and everything changed," Ash said sadly. He immediately brightened up again. "But now the old Gary is back. He said he's coming back to Pallet to visit. I never thought Gary would become a Pokémon researcher. I always thought we would compete against each other in the Championship Tournament."

"Prof. Oak must be thrilled."

Ash nodded. Suddenly his eyes darkened. "Misty."

"Ash, no… don't! Stop it!" Tears seemed to flow from her eyes before she could stop them. Ash looked startled.

"Let's get some sleep. There's at least a day's worth of space between us."

Misty quickly wiped her tears. She hadn't cried in so long, not since the day she and Ash had parted so many years ago. "Where?"

"We'll sleep in a tree."

"A tree?"

"Yep, I had a friend in Unova who used to sleep in trees all the time. She was even wilder than me. She reminded me a lot of you though."

"She?"

Ash grinned. "Jealous?"

Misty growled. She playfully slapped Ash on the arm. "No!" Pikachu smirked. Ash playfully whimpered.

Both Pikachu and Azurill had little problems scaling the tree. Pikachu was used to climbing trees, and all Azurill had to do was bounce of its little ball. Misty had a much harder time. It took the combined effort of Snivy's vine whip and Ash pushing from behind to get Misty up the tree. Both trainers were sore and exhausted from the endeavor. "I forgot you don't climb trees Misty."

Misty glared at Ash. With Pikachu's help, Ash found them each a comfortable branch with a nice leaf patch for a pillow. Misty found it surprisingly comfortable and instantly remembered how sleepy she was. Only when a strong chill blew through the air, did she remember their predicament. All signs of sleep vanished from her thoughts. She glanced over at Ash and found that he too wasn't asleep. He was lightly stroking Pikachu's fur. The two seemed to be talking in hushed tones. For once Ash didn't seem on edge. It was as the old Ash had suddenly emerged. She felt her heart squeeze a little. "Ash?" Misty called out hesitantly.

Ash looked up. Pikachu's ear perked up. "What's wrong Misty?"

"I…" Immediately Misty changed her mind. It wasn't the time or the place. "What happened to Team Rocket?"

"Team Rocket?" Ash furrowed his brow, a little confused.

"You know, Jessie, James and Meowth, the three clowns that wanted your Pikachu?"

"Oh them. I don't know. Maybe they're still in Unova. They stopped trying to catch Pikachu all of a sudden and got a personality change. It was really strange."

"One would think after all these years they would have given up long ago or still keep trying."

"Yeah, well at least they finally did. Funny thing is. I bet had they actually succeeded. I really don't think their boss would have actually wanted a Pikachu." Pikachu grumbled; tiny sparks appeared from its electric sacks. Ash laughed.

"Ash."

"Hmm."

"The view is nice up here. You can see the stars." Misty noticed the small twinkling balls of light. They rarely saw stars lately. The sky was always so hazy.

"Yep, I used to climb these trees a lot when I was younger."

"With Gary?"

"Nah," Ash suddenly seemed sad. "With my dad."

"Your dad?" Ash never spoke of his dad. Misty had always wondered what happened to Ash's dad. She never saw any pictures of him in his house when she visited.

"He told me no matter what happens the stars are always there. He said that if I looked up in the sky; he'd be there with all the other Pokémon Masters of the past. I used to climb onto the roof of my house and look at the stars for hours and tried to find my dad's star. It scared my mom a lot. She always said I would fall off and break an arm or something."

Misty giggled. "That sounds like your mom."

"Yeah, mom was always worried."

"Moms are supposed to worry," Misty pointed out. She wondered how many times she had caused her own mother to worry.

"I used to dream of being up there someday with him in the stars with all the other famous Pokémon Masters." Ash sighed. He continued to rub Pikachu behind its ears. The Pokémon looked up at its trainer. Its face mirrored Ash's.

"And you will. You're a really good trainer," said Misty.

"You're just saying that. The Unova league showed me there's still a lot I don't know. Did you know in the Sinnoh League there was a Pokémon trainer that beat everyone with his Darkai?"

"That doesn't sound fair." Misty blinked. She forgot Ash had challenged so many leagues after they parted. She didn't have time to watch the Sinnoh League. She only caught the highlights after all the matches were over. She remembered that Ash had done really well. As for the Unova League they said something happened during the tournament, so it was never broadcasted. When she first asked him how he had done, Ash had gone strangely quiet. He rarely talked about the Unova League or Iris and Cilan. She looked up at the sky. She wondered if there really were Pokémon masters watching them from the stars. It sounded more comforting than big balls of fire. "Ash?"

"Hmm."

"Which one is your dad's star?"

Ash shifted his weight. "Hmm," he pointed to a shiny blob that was directly over them. "See that group of stars? It forms a thunderbolt."

Misty blinked. She tried rotating the stars. Finally she gasped, startled at the image. "It really does look like a thunderbolt."

"Well, dad is the last star at the end."

"There's room for another star too."

Ash chuckled. "There's room for two more. You're closer to becoming a Water Pokémon master than me." Misty laughed. She had forgotten that childhood dream of hers over the years. Lately, she just wanted to improve her family gym. Her sisters had ruined the gym's reputation, and it had taken a lot longer than she had planned before she managed to improve the gym's quality. "I've heard the Cerulean gym is no longer an easy gym for rookies."

"Hey, you only got the badge because my sisters felt sorry for you!"

Ash laughed. His early training days weren't filled with fond memories. His first league tournament still left a bitter after taste in his mouth. He always tried to not think about what would have happened had Team Rocket had not kidnapped him that day, or if Charmander had never evolved. He held his hand up defensively as Misty took a swing at him. Ash peeked over his hands after Misty stopped swinging. She still looked like she was fuming.

"Pikapi." Pikachu looked at his trainer sadly. Ash's playful nature immediately disappeared. He sighed. It was hard. Nothing was easy.

"Misty, tomorrow we got to separate."

"Ash."

Ash raised his hand. Pikachu had climbed onto its trainer's shoulders. Its ears were perked up; its tail was straight as an arrow.

"You're my best friend Mist. We both know; it only wants me. Hell, it was my arrogance that got us into this mess. We got to separate, with you willing or not." Ash's face hardened. Misty hadn't noticed that the boy was holding two Pokéballs. She wondered which Pokémon were in them.

"No!" Misty drew out a Pokéball.

Ash looked at her sadly. Faster than Misty had time to realize, Ash's Bulbasaur was casting sleep powder on her. She wondered when Ash had retrieved Bulbasaur from Prof Oak. She felt herself falling and Ash's strong arms cradling her. Her vision grew hazy. Ash seemed sad. Pikachu seemed more upset. "No," she muttered. Her eyes grew heavier.

"I'll come back when it's safe again." The words seemed so distant.

"Promise?" Misty shrugged with the words. The sleep powder was strong. She found herself being dragged into the world of sleep. Whether it was in her dreams or in reality, she thought she heard Ash mutter the words 'I promise'.

**TBC**

**A/N: **Some of you may recognize that this prologue shares the same idea as another fic I wrote and published here years ago under the title A Sign of the Thunderbolt. If so, you would be correct. I have decided to revive that fic. However, instead of finishing and editing it since it had too many loopholes and is poorly written, I have to just completely rewrite it. Also I have decided to upgrade to include what has happened in the Pokémon world these last eight years. The two fics share the same basic idea, but they will be different. You'll see what I mean.

Please review!


	2. Chapter 1: Renegades

**Chapter 1: Renegades**

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_Year 2024_

_World: Pokémon Indigo Island/Kanto_

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Two lanky figures walked through the lonely streets of an abandoned city. Both were draped in mucky and dirty old black cloaks. Their faces showed signs of hunger and fatigue. They hadn't eaten or slept in days.

One of the figures appeared to be looking into the distance where the remains of a tattered and abandoned stadium stood. It reminded him of better days, days of long pass. Like everything else from those days, it all seemed like a dream.

They were the only people in this once lively town. It was a ghost town now like all the other cities on Indigo Island. Humanity seemed to have disappeared from the face of the Earth. The shorter figure pulled back her hood revealing a young woman in her late twenties. Her hair was a shade of deep blood red. Her face was sunken. Deep black lines ran under her eyes showing signs of fatigue.

The young woman collapsed on a broken bench. The intricate design that was craved into the stone had worn away with time. She grasped her partner's cloak and lightly tugged at it. The other turned around, startled by the movement. He too pulled down his hood revealing a young man with short blue hair. He too looked tired and hungry. His features had sharpened over the years.

"This place sure has changed, huh?" muttered the woman.

"Yeah." The man sat down next to his partner. He glazed around their surroundings. Long time, it had been a square. The fountain that was located in the center of the square had long gone dry. Sand and time had worn away the Pokémon that adorned it.

"It feels like just yesterday this place was filled with people. Remember, we sold so much merchandise to the fans over there." She pointed to a spot now overgrown with weeds. "We were good at selling stuff."

"There's nobody to sell to now."

"Jessie," the man started.

"James, no," she immediately cut her off. "We agreed. We'd be joining… them. They're the enemy."

James immediately hardened. "It's been too long. We tried. We tried for more than half a decade. If they were still around, don't you think they would have contacted us by now?"

"What if they are just biding their time? They said we showed potential in Unova. It was a good plan." It was the same argument she always used. It always worked. She wondered for how much longer. She knew it was a harsh life, but her life had always been hard. She knew if wasn't for her stubbornness he would have joined long ago. Everyone else did, except small bands of the crazy or fanatics who claimed they couldn't abandon the Earth to _them_. Although even those numbers seemed to be diminishing as the years went by.

"Jessie." James sighed before taking a deep breath. He wasn't as strong as Jessie. Jessie always swayed him. "They're gone. Look around you. What do you see?" Jessie looked away unable to face James. "What do you see?" James asked again, his voice firmer.

"Nothing, I see nothing!" Jessie shouted.

James cringed, but he stayed hardened. He had to do it. He didn't know how long they would last otherwise. "Jessie, that's caused there's nothing left! Civilization has been broken. Can't you see that Jess? Life won't ever be as it used to be. We have to join the cause!"

"No!" She raised her hand. As she reached to strike James across the cheeks, the other grabbed her hand. Stunned, she tried to pull back; only James's grasp tightened. "We can't, we can't James." Her voice cracked.

"Jessie, listen to me. In this world, our enemies aren't each other. It wasn't humans that destroyed this city. Can't you see? Our old lives are gone. Everywhere we go we struggle to live. Team Rocket is gone. It's just us, you and me running, running to survive. I can't live like this anymore Jessie. We have to join Thunderbolt."

"No," Jessie shook her head. "We can't! I refuse." She tugged harder until finally pulling free from James. "I'm refuse! You can join Thunderbolt. You can leave. I'm not stopping you. You can leave. Leave me like everyone else." Jessie looked away. James looked away. The dark secrets of Jessie's past had haunted her for years, and they were the reason James couldn't and wouldn't leave her.

They sat there for a long time. Each lost in their own thoughts. All they had left were memories of the past. Despite never being ahead in their youth, they were still better days than what they had now. It would be hours later when the sun had almost set that Jessie and James drew up their hoods and walked through the abandoned streets of the Indigo Plateau.

They eventually entered the cave that would lead them to Viridian City. It had been years since they went back to Viridian City. They still remembered that day when they saw the remains of the Team Rocket base and gym. They are arrived hours after the burning of Viridian City. Viridian was one of the last major cities of Kanto that burned. Celadon and Saffron were the first to go.

James pulled out a lantern from his pack and immediately lit it with a match. The warm glow reassured Jessie. Even after all these years, the darkness still made her uneasy. It was a path they traversed many times. It was a suffocating darkness.

A loud squeak resonated through the cave walls. They immediately froze. "What was that?" Jessie muttered. She felt her skin turn cold. James also froze.

"A P…Pokémon." He gulped. Jessie grabbed James's arms. It felt as if the cave walls themselves were shaking. Rocks fell around them alerting all that trespassers were about. The two knew it was just the beginning of a Pokémon attack. Over the years, the Pokémon seemed to have built a strong fortress to protect, alert and defend their territory from humans.

The two ran through the caves. They blindly stumbled through the cave. The light from the lantern gave off barely enough light from them to see each other. They could feel the rustling of the warm air. They felt the hundreds of pairs of eyes that glared and pierced at them. It felt as if they were running for hours.

Jessie felt the air tighten around her. She felt the rock that caused her to lose her balance even James's strong hold wasn't enough to keep her from falling. Instead she pulled James down with her. She cursed under her breath. The lantern lay feebly before them. James moaned at his headache and what would soon develop into a nasty bump. He cursed at the sting on his knee.

"Sorry," Jessie said sheepishly as she tried to disentangle herself from James. She cursed as she brushed her arm across James's leg. She had cut her arm. Blood was already slipping through the cut. They would have to treat their wounds soon although the loud rumble that sliced though the cave alerted them to in coming and impending assault.

She hardened her face as they picked themselves up from the ground.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

James grabbed the lantern, and they took off. Although they were both cut and badly bruised and their pace had slowed considerably, they were still faster than the Pokémon that chased them. The closer they got to the cave entrance; the stranger the concept was. They shouldn't be this far ahead. It was almost impossible to outrun flying Pokémon, yet no Pokémon had managed to catch up to them.

"Jessie…"

"Don't talk," Jessie snapped back. Although from the look that she gave him, James knew that Jessie was also thinking what he was thinking.

As they neared the cave entrance instead of seeing the normally accustomed bright white glow that announced the outside world, they were instead met by darkness. A pile of freshly fallen rocked blocked the cave entrance. James cursed. He felt the sudden lurch in Jessie's body. As he turned, he felt his blood run cold. Before him, a large menacing Crobat with bright blood red eyes glared back at him. His fangs were dripping with fresh red blood. His eyes widened as the Crobat rose towards the ceiling before plummeting towards him. James covered his face with one arm. As the body of the large Pokémon reached him, he instinctively took a hard swing. He felt the batty leather of the Pokémon wings. He heard its squeak. As he peered out from behind his hand, he watched the Pokémon fly away. He could hear his heart madly pumping. His fist was covered in blood. Only then did he remember the unconscious Jessie that lay beside him. He felt the impending doom that the Crobat would bring back helpers and tried to hold back the nauseating feeling that a Crobat's bite is poisonous.

He pulled Jessie's head into his lap. She was barely conscious. "J…James," she muttered.

"Shh, don't talk. Just stay awake. You'll…we'll be fine." James muttered. He stroked her cheeks.

"I will?" She tried to smile. It made it harder for James. He pulled back her hair. He cursed at the two prominent and deep teeth marks on her neck. Blood was dripping from both holes. The skin around the area was already turning a dark purplish hue.

"It's bad huh?"

"No," James struggled with the words. "Just got to give you some treatment."

"Treatment," Jessie's eyes were dazing over. "S… sorry James. I guess… this is good-bye."

"No, no. We'll get through this. We'll go to Thunderbolt. They have treatment. You just got to stay conscious."

Jessie nodded. She shrugged to keep awake. James tore a piece of cloth from his cloak and lightly wrapped it around Jessie's neck. The cloth immediately turned dark red. He managed to steady his head before standing up.

A high pitch squeak resonated through the cave halls. James cringed. The air suddenly became much colder. The dark cave suddenly became brighter as thousands of pairs of deep blood red orbs covered the cave halls. He braced himself. He kept Jessie behind him and raised his fists.

His only consolation was that now he didn't have to live alone without Jessie. They would leave this world together. He bit his lips, yet as death descended upon him he only felt regret. Regret that he couldn't live to fight. He had been a failure with Team Rocket for years. It was only in the latter years when the Boss realized that they were better at high tech missions that at capturing and stealing Pokémon from unsuspecting trainers were they able to really shine.

As death enclosed him, a soothing yet familiar song filled his ears. A blinding flash of white light forced him to close his eyes. He felt soft warm bodies brush against his sides. He braced himself for the pain which never came. Warmth encased his body. Thinking he was already in heaven, James slowly opened his eyes. Everything was bright and fuzzy. He wondered if this was what it felt like to not have depth perception. Far in the distance or maybe it was actually really close, he saw an outline of a person. He squirted his eyes and made out the figure of a person dressed in white. There was a smile on the person's face.

"Where… no… who are you?"

The person simply smiled. It was a sad smile. That was the last James saw.

**TBC**

**A/N:** Read and Review!


	3. Chapter 2: The Recovery

**Chapter 2: The Recovery**

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_Year 2024_

_World: Pokémon Indigo Island/Kanto_

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"All clear," a man spoke into an old walkie-talkie. He cringed at the static that followed each of his words. He appeared to be almost fifty from his hunched back and unruly brown hair while in reality he was just entering his mid-twenties. He latched the walkie-talkie onto to his belt before continuing his patrol. It had been a long day. He was tired and exhausted from his midnight rounds and was eager to report back to headquarters, so he could get some rest. His hard bed never seemed so enticing. He had to remember to never again wage guard duty on a hand of poker. It was a bad habit that even after all these years had never fully disappeared.

The next bend seemed so far away. He wondered how the regular patrol guards could do this every night. Luckily, headquarters was only three turns away which presently seemed too far away. He sighed as he finally approached the bend and the beginning of the tunnel. To his surprise, as he rounded the bend the tunnel was bathed in a momentarily flash of white light. Natural light only entered this tunnel when the teleportation pad that was located in the center of the tunnel was activated. Which was impossible since nobody would be using the pads this late at night. He immediately pulled out his gun. He removed the safely and aimed it at the tunnel.

"Who's there? I'm warning you I'm armed." The words echoed throughout the tunnel. Even though he knew, if it was the enemy, a gun wouldn't be able to protect him. He waited for a response, but none came. Slowly, the man crept forward. The flashlight on the gun provided sufficient light, yet as he reached the teleportation pad a small gasp escaped from his lips. What lay on the floor wasn't an enemy nor was it a wayside soldier returning from an outing. Instead it was two human beings. Both severely wounded. A rotting smell was even coming from one of their necks. He immediately put the safety back on his gun and reached for his walkie-talkie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"They were unconscious when you found them." A young woman with long red hair repeated. She bit her lips, crossed her hands and slightly leaned against the wall.

The young man who had found the two simply nodded. The other male occupant in the room remained quiet. He glanced over at the young woman. They seemed to share a momentarily sense of acknowledgement. He shook his head, slowly. The young woman looked away.

The glass sliding door leading to the infirmary opened before the young man could respond. A pretty woman with pink puffy sleeves and a white apron emerged from the sliding doors. The trio immediately turned around.

"Misty, Richie, Brock," she acknowledged. "The male is awake. The female is still asleep but stable. He is asking all sorts of questions. He appears to be confused about his surroundings. He thought he was dead. I told him he would have visitors soon who could answer all his questions."

"Thank you Nurse Joy," Richie, the young man who had found the two, spoke first. He glanced over at Misty and Brock. They stilled appeared uneasy. Richie sighed and walked into the infirmary. Misty and Brock slowly followed.

Nurse Joy watched the three retreating figures before sighing. She rubbed her temple. It was had been a long day and an equally long night.

Misty, Brock and Richie walked past the rows and rows of the small cubicles, which held the sick or injured. Most of the occupants were either asleep or too highly medicated to notice their presence. Only a few of the younger occupants were awake. Those who were awake exchanged greetings with Misty, Brock and Richie.

Their targets were located at the end of the ward, in the isolation ward.

The distance seemed particularly long to Misty. It had been a long time since new people appeared. Also there was the fact that one of the people was a male. Misty mentally cursed at herself when she realized that she had been holding her breath. She tried to keep herself from hoping. She had been disappointed too many times already.

However when they entered the isolation ward and Misty saw the two in their beds she couldn't help but feel disappointed. The male, like Nurse Joy had said, was awake. He seemed preoccupied with trying to get out of the bed thus did not notice their presence. Nurse Joy had always been good at keeping her patients in their beds.

However, upon closer inspection, Misty felt a strange sense of déjà vu. The male seemed oddly familiar. She stepped forward and slowly cleared her voice to announce her presence. The male immediately turned around. "You!"

Misty gasped, unable to respond. She glanced over at Brock who also appeared stunned. Only Richie appeared clueless. He stepped forward. "Do I know you?"

"Team Rocket?"

"The twerp's friends."

Misty cringed. She felt as if an old wound had been ripped open.

Richie blinked. The exchange completely lost on him. Unlike Misty, Brock and James who had spent years as bitter enemies, Richie had only encountered James once more than a decade ago. "Team Rocket… didn't…" He shook his head. The idea seemed completely ridiculous once completely formed.

"Misty."

"Brock and that's Richie."

"James and..." James's eyes widened. "Where's Jessie? Where am I?"

"If you mean the woman that was with you, she's in the next room," Richie commented. "And stable," Richie quickly added once he saw James's worried expression. "Nurse Joy fixed her up. She had a nasty wound on her neck."

"Nurse Joy? Isn't Nurse Joy a…" James trailed off.

"You're in Viridian City Underground. Richie found you by a teleportation pad," Brock added.

"How did you find the teleportation pad?" Misty's question was straight to the point. The question they all wanted answered.

"Teleportation pad? Viridian City Underground?" James blinked, completely confused. "I don't understand. We were in a cave outside the Indigo Plateau. Jessie got attacked by a Crobat. We were then assaulted by a herd of Zubat. I thought we were goners, but then this person dressed in white saved us…" James trailed off. He looked at the three surrounding him. They seemed to be exchanging uneasy glances with one another.

"A person in white," Brock repeated.

James nodded, a little uneasy. Suddenly the story seemed less possible.

"Brock not this story again," Misty snapped. She hated the topic about the person in white. It was a ridiculous idea, but many people had started equating the person in white with 'the savior'.

"Misty, we can't continue to doubt this story. We get more and more sightings every day."

"A mirage, an illusion, we see what we want to see in times of desperation." Misty snapped. Brock immediately knew to stop pushing the subject. Misty had changed and hardened over the years. "It seems that you have no idea how you got here. Probably sheer dumb luck, you've always been lucky. Anyways, you're in Team Thunderbolt's base. You do know who Team Thunderbolt is?"

James nodded. "A refuge and a sanction for humanity."

"And is in no way mandatory, we will give you and Jessie aid no matter what you decide. If you decide to join our past history will be forgotten. Our enemies aren't each other but _them_."

"Join?"

"Team Thunderbolt, we give everyone the opportunity."

James glanced over at the other room where he knew Jessie was resting. He remembered seeing Jessie's condition after the Crobat had bitten her. She could have died. She would be dead if it wasn't for these people around him. The idea of leaving this place was unbearable. He didn't want to run or hide anymore. He suddenly felt very tired. "Yes, yes we'll both join."

Misty's expression seemed to have soften after James's answer. "Good, after Jessie awakes you'll be formally initiated into the group."

That was the end of the conversation. Misty, Brock and Richie exited from the room leaving James alone once again. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. Into a peaceful sleep, one he hadn't experienced in years. He would worry about Jessie's reaction tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a slow recovery for James and an even slower one for Jessie. It seemed the initial shock and adrenaline rush had masked all signs of a broken wrist in James's hand. He was chided by Nurse Joy for even attempting physical combat with a Crobat.

Jessie awoke from her coma days earlier, but due the intense stabbing pain in her neck and the residual poison that was still present in her system, she was still heavily medicated and spent the days in a half dazed state.

Brock came regularly to check on their progress. It wasn't until the third visit that James questioned his actions.

_"I didn't know you cared," he had asked when Brock appeared when Nurse Joy was changing his bandages._

_Brock initially didn't respond. He simply crossed his arms and watched Nurse Joy continue her work. He occasionally glanced at the clipboard that was hanging over his bed. "I don't. Well I probably shouldn't especially after all the problems you caused for us, but that's the past. This is the present. It's my duty to care."_

_James blinked. "I'm the chief medic in this division." Brock pulled out a plastic card from his coat pocket. James blinked at the words on the card. It was a long title. He had a brief memory of the twerp mentioning that one of his friends was going to be a Pokémon doctor. Times had changed. People's professions had to change with it. "I'm here to make sure your limbs don't fall."_

_James's eyes widened. He looked like he wanted to puke. A small smirk appeared on Brock's face. Seeing the other's expression, James sighed. Time had changed people._

James learned to expect Brock's raw humor. He accepted it as punishment for his actions in their youth. There were other things that James started to get use to especially the siren that went off once every so many nights. It was a loud shrill sound. The first night he heard it he almost wet the bed. The infirmary always became more crowded afterwards.

He asked Nurse Joy about it. She tried to keep a happy expression when she told to him it meant there was a Pokémon swarm. She didn't supply anymore details.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A month later, the dosage on Jessie's pain killers finally lessened by then James had long left the infirmary and moved into temporary housing nearby. He said he wanted to join Team Thunderbolt when Jessie was well enough. He came to visit often. She tried asking where they were often, but James always noticed the signs and steered the conversation away.

However that particular day, James knew he would have to tell her. He took a deep breath and entered her room. There was a smile on a face; one he hadn't seen in years. Her hair even looked shinier.

He stepped closer to her bed. "Hi." James squeaked. He immediately cleared his throat. "Hi." This time his words came out clearer.

"James." Jessie turned her head to his voice.

"We're in Thunderbolt base. We're joining," the words rushed from James's lips before he realized he had said them. "You can slap me if you want." He immediately looked away. He closed his eyes and waited for the slap that never came. He slowly opened his eyes and looked back. Jessie's hand was held in mid-air. She looked as stunned as he did.

A small chuckle escaped her lips. She slowly lowered her hand. "Interesting, I really thought I wanted to slap you." She shrugged. "More for not being truthful by the way." James blinked. "We've known each other for how long now? Still no faith? I've known for a long time James. I even agreed when the twerp's friends asked. The twerp's friends," Jessie laughed. "They are so different now."

"Yeah." It was only words James could utter. The sheer weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders.

"I wonder what happened to the twerp."

"Huh?"

"You'd think he would have come by or something."

Only then did James realize that was the uneasy and strange sensation he had felt since arriving. _Where was the twerp?_

**TBC **

**A/N:** Read and Review!


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